The program is suitable for individuals working toward, or maintaining, abstinence from addictive behaviours.

Content: The program draws from a variety of approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance& Commitment Therapy and Positive Psychology.

The group program aims to:

• Provide peer and professional support to maintain sobriety and recovery.
• Enhance understanding of the dependency syndrome and recovery process.
• Develop adaptive coping skills to manage the physical, psychological and social difficulties specific to addiction.
• Equip participants with adaptive skills to achieve a meaningful and enjoyable recovery.

When:

The program runs for 12 weeks on Thursdays, 9:00am - 2:45pm.

The program is an open group, accordingly patients can commence at any time within the 12 week cycle, numbers permitting.

The program is suitable for individuals with a broad range of mental health concerns or addictions.

Content:

• Creating Wellbeing provides opportunities for individuals to participate in creative activities which promote:
• Personal growth and fulfilment
• Improved ability to manage emotions and tolerate distress
• Enhanced self-esteem.

Additionally the Creating Wellbeing Program will incorporate aspects of a range of evidence-based therapies, including Features of Positive Psychology, which promotes the importance of gratitude, engaging in pleasurable activities and contributing to others in a meaningful way.

The program will also explore a range of distress tolerance strategies such as those taught in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Activities are designed to support, challenge and enhance the psychological, social, emotional and physical well-being of individuals.

Through participation in this program, it is anticipated that individuals will be better able to focus on positives, become more grateful, use reflective tools, learn adaptive coping strategies and discover a range of self-calming techniques.

When:
The program runs weekly on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00am - 2:45pm.

Participants may attend as often as required. We welcome referrals to the Creating Wellbeing Day Program.

A referral for all Day Programs is required from an accredited Psychiatrist to Pine Rivers Private Hospital.

This program is suitable for individuals with a broad range of mental health concerns or addiction. The open and flexible nature of the program enables participants to choose how regularly and for how long they would like to attend. LWP is general day program, designed to provide regular support, structure and learning opportunities to participants for as long as required, whether that be to support the transition from inpatient to outpatient services, whilst waiting for availability of a specialist Program, or ongoing.

The program includes:

• Support Therapy: a space for participants to explore current concerns whilst gaining support from both facilitators and co-patients.
• Psychoeducation regarding a wide range of mental health issues.

When:
The program runs twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays from 9:00am – 2:45pm. Participants may attend for as many weeks as needed.

The program is suitable for adults with Mood or Anxiety Disorders.

Content:
In a group setting, participants will predominantly explore the concepts of Positive Psychology, an approach that supports individuals to improve well-being and flourish. Core features of Positive Psychology include:

• Positive Emotion: Exploring ways to create and enhance positive experience.
• Engagement: Connecting with and being absorbed by the task at hand utilising strengths.
• Relationships: Building and nurturing positive relationships.
• Meaning: Belonging to and serving something bigger than the self.
• Accomplishment: Achieving in life.

When:

The program runs for 12 weeks on each Monday 9:00am - 2:45pm. Attendance is required one day per week.

The program is an open group, accordingly patients can commence at any time within the 12 week cycle, numbers permitting.

This program is suitable for adults with a range of mental health concerns.

Content:
Participants will take part in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in a group setting, in which they will be assisted in:

• Developing Mindfulness Skills, that is, learning to focus one’s attention on the present moment without judgment.
• Developing a sense of acceptance of one’s experience, including emotions, thoughts, urges, self and external experience.
• Enhancing psychological flexibility through learning cognitive defusion techniques to alter the way in which one relates to their thoughts, thereby reducing the impact of unhelpful cognitive processes.
• Identifying personal values and connecting with what’s really important.
• Becoming committed to behaving in a way that is aligned with one’s values, in order to live a full, rich and meaningful life.

When:

The program runs for 12 weeks on Tuesdays 9:00 - 2:45pm.

Attendance is required one day per week.

The program is a closed group, with intake occurring four times per year.

Who:
This program is suitable for adults experiencing longstanding and chronic emotional difficulties. The program is relevant for adults experiencing traits of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or with a diagnosis of BPD.

Content:
The DBT Foundations program provides the foundation for the DBT Skills Training Day Program. DBT is a well established treatment designed to stabilise a range of symptoms, such as difficulty managing emotions, relationship difficulties and high levels of distress.

Within a group setting, the Foundations program explores:

• ‘What is DBT?’, including the different components of skills training.
• The biosocial theory of emotional vulnerability.
• Symptoms of BPD.
• Debunking myths re: BPD.
• Cycle of Change and Goal Setting.
• Adaptive Problem Solving techniques.
• Ways to effectively address barriers to therapy.

When:
The program runs for 5 weeks on Wednesdays from 9:00am – 2:45pm. Attendance is required weekly. The program is a closed group, with intake occurring three times per year. Participation is a pre-requisite for entry into the 12 month DBT Skills and Training Program.

Participation is a pre-requisite for entry into the 12 month DBT Skills Training Program.

Who:
This program is suitable for adults experiencing longstanding and chronic emotional difficulties. The program is relevant for adults experiencing traits of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or with a diagnosis of BPD, whom have completed the DBT Foundations Program.

Content:
DBT is a well-established treatment designed to address a range of concerns, such as difficulty managing emotions, relationship difficulties and high levels of distress.

Within a group setting, the Skills Training program teaches:

• Core Mindfulness Skills - Learning to control the mind, to focus attention on present moment, increase self awareness, self acceptance and reduce emotional reactivity.
• Emotion Regulation Skills - Learning to understand, identify and manage emotions effectively.
• Distress Tolerance Skills - Learning to effectively cope with high levels of emotional distress, without making things worse.
• Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills - Understanding barriers to effective communication and developing appropriate communication skills to enhance relationships.

When:
The program is a 12 month DBT Skills Training program involves three 14-week modules on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:00am – 2:45pm. Attendance is required weekly.

The program is a closed group, with intake occurring three times per year.

Day Program to treat and support patients with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, or whom experience excessive worrying

Content:

The Managing Worry – GAD program is a 6 week Full Day Program using CBT. Each week a new CBT skill is taught, with experiential practice of the skills considered essential to ensure effective implementation with good effect.

Therapy goals include:

• Understanding Generalised Anxiety Disorder and the impact of excessive worrying.
• Conceptualising GAD within the CBT framework, specifically understanding the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
• Developing relaxation skills enabling effective regulation of the nervous system.
• Identifying maintaining factors of GAD.
• Developing Cognitive Restructuring Skills.
• Identifying unhelpful thinking patterns.
• Building tolerance to uncertainty.
• Creating, and participating in, behavioural experiments to effectively challenge unhelpful worries.
• Troubleshooting behavioural experiments to enhance efficacy.
• Developing effective decision-making.
• Developing problem solving skills.
• Exploring strategies for worry postponement to reduce frequency and duration of worrying.
• Relapse Prevention.

When:

The program runs for 6 weeks on Wednesdays from 9:00am – 2:15pm. Attendance is required one day per week.

The program is a closed group, with intake occurring four times per year.

Emergency Services and Corrections Workers (past or present) experiencing symptoms of PTSD.

Content:

Participation in this group-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy program provides access to both professional and peer support, enabling enhanced insight regarding the impact of trauma (biological, psychological and social) and normalization of the trauma response.
The program assists in the development of adaptive coping strategies, supports clinical stabilization and assists in re-engagement in valued functional activities.

Therapy Goals:

• Psycho education re: symptoms, causes and neurobiology of PTSD.
• Developing Mindfulness and Grounding Skills.
• Developing Distress Tolerance Skills, e.g. Self- Soothing and Distraction.
• Nightmare/ flashback management.
• Reducing emotional vulnerability through physical self-care.
• Understanding emotions.
• Developing ways to manage emotional dysregulation effectively.
• Understanding fight, flight, freeze response and the Window of Tolerance.
• Enhancing Self-Compassion: addressing self-criticism and unrelenting high standards.
• Identifying and managing unhelpful thoughts (Restructuring and Defusion).
• Exploring safety, trust, power/ control, self-esteem & intimacy.
• Behavioural Activation and Activity Scheduling.
• Developing assertiveness skills.
• Exposure Tasks.
• Relapse prevention and wellness planning.

When:

The program runs for 10 weeks on Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00am – 2:15pm. Patients attend twice weekly.
The program is a closed group with intake occurring four times per year.
Follow-Up sessions are offered at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months post program completion to support long-term progress.

How to join:

A GP referral is required to an accredited Psychiatrist of Pine Rivers Private Hospital.

Further information:

Please contact the Admissions Hub or Allied Health Manager on 3881 7222.

Schema Therapy for Depression: Rewriting Your Story

This program is suited to individuals diagnosed with Depressive Disorders, such as Major Depression or Persistent Depression.

Content:

Schema Therapy is a well-established evidence –based treatment for Depression. Whilst predominantly Schema Therapy based, the program also draws from Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy techniques to ensure a comprehensive approach.

In a group therapy setting, patients will:

• Develop an understanding of Depressive Disorders.
• Identify lifestyle factors that may contribute to the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms.
• Address lifestyle factors to reduce vulnerability.
• Understand how to apply behavioral activation to reduce negative experience and increase positive experience and emotion.
• Identify unhelpful thinking styles, and develop strategies to reduce distress associated with unhelpful thoughts.
• Develop Mindfulness skills; be more present, let go of rumination or worrying.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of maladaptive schemas, identifying those relevant to personal experience and they impact on own thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
• Learn to combat and replace maladaptive thoughts and coping modes.
• Develop self-compassion and build a ‘healthy self’.
• Develop relaxation and self-soothing skills.

Program Length and Times:

The program runs for 12 weeks on Fridays from 9:00am – 2:45pm.

Attendance is required once weekly.

The program is a closed group with intake occurring four times per year.

Who is the Program for?

Individuals who have experienced past or recent trauma/s.

Program Content:

The program is derived from a range of evidence-based therapies, in particular Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness practices. Given the group therapy format, exposure therapy is not incorporated. Instead, the focus is on the development of adaptive coping strategies to enhance ability to effectively manage the impact of trauma.

Within a group setting, participants will be supported to:

• Understand trauma & the impact of trauma on body, mind & social functioning.
• Understand safety & identify ways in which to create it.
• Enhance self-care & reduce emotional vulnerability.
• Develop adaptive behavioural coping skills to manage the symptoms of trauma, including:
  • Emotion Regulation Skills., including relaxation skills
  • Self-Soothing Strategies, including grounding and Mindfulness.
• Understand the link between thoughts, feelings and behavior, and learn strategies to manage unhelpful thoughts and maladaptive core beliefs.
• Address avoidance behaviours.
• Develop skills to manage flashbacks, memories and dreams.
• Develop self compassion.
• Create safe boundaries and assertion skills.
• Manage shame, guilt and loss.
• Attain post-traumatic growth.

When

The program runs for 12 weeks on Wednesdays from 9:00am-2:45pm. The program is a closed group with intake occuring four times per year.